Scavenging Seagulls meet Winston Churchill

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Getting: Yesterday afternoon I was on the sea front, outside ‘The Thatch’ café drinking tea with my friend Alan. As usual the big Herring Gulls were ready and waiting for scavenging opportunities. We watched several times: as soon families left their tables the seagulls landed – noisily taking what they could find… abandoned chips, left over sandwich crusts…

It’s a philosophy that many people share. Don’t waste anything!  Get what you can when you can. Look after yourself because no-one else will.

Giving: This morning I read a Winston Churchill quote: ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’ He’s suggesting that our purpose in life is not solely defined by what we accumulate, but rather by what we give to others.

‘Life’s about giving not getting’ is a familiar Christian teaching that I was brought up with: Jesus the servant who gave his life, calls his followers to give their time, love, and resources.

But… St Francis’ prayer that starts ‘Lord, make me an instrument of your peace’ includes the line ‘It is in giving that we receive.’

The old Malvina Reynolds song starts:

Love is something if you give it away
Give it away, give it away
Love is something if you give it away
You end up having more.

It’s just like a magic penny
Hold it tight and you won’t have any
Lend it, spend it, and you’ll have so many
They’ll roll all over the floor.

However… We can’t give away Malvina’s magic penny if we’ve not got it. We can only give what we’ve received. A good output from my life comes from a good input… the people I meet, the things I watch or listen to… the good, loving, truthful, kind, generous, joyful…

This morning I’m musing… ‘Getting’ and ‘giving’ aren’t two alternatives that I choose between, rather they are inextricably linked. As I get, I give; as I give, I get. This morning I’m praying for wisdom and balance.

7 thoughts on “Scavenging Seagulls meet Winston Churchill”

  1. Scarcity is part of my life, although I have enough to live day by day, so this verse is very much engrained into my heart, “For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality.” 2 Corinthians 8:13-14

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  2. I enjoyed this, Malcolm. The picture of the seagulls reminded of an affirmation statement I once read, “Today I will be as happy as a seagull with a french fry!” (or, I guess over there, you would say, “as happy as a seagull with a chip!”)

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    1. I guess they’re happy, Dana…. They always look greedy and grumpy to me – especially when several of them land on a picnic table.

      …And these days in British cuisine ‘fries’ are skinny – like you’d get in McDonalds – with the American influence… whereas chips are much fatter, perhaps 1/2 inch wide – as you would get from a British fish and chip shop. .

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